Governor Jan Brewer continues her efforts to expand Medicaid in Arizona, but many conservatives are critical — saying the Governor is selling out principles in exchange for federal money. Steve Goldstein gets different perspectives on the proposed expansion from Mary K.

Arizona State University has changed the design of its longtime mascot, Sparky. Many fans are unhappy with the updated look.Steve Goldstein talks about the uproar with Tyler Lockman, who covers ASU football for FoxSportsArizona.

A bill proceeding through the Arizona legislature would put more limits on photo enforcement on the state's highways. It's the latest controversy since the program was introduced on the Loop 101 in Scottsdale.

VATICAN CITY (Associated Press) — Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina was elected pope Wednesday, becoming the first pontiff from the Americas and the first from outside Europe in more than a millennium. He chose the name Francis, associating himself with the humble 13th-century Italian preacher who lived a life of poverty.

The Air Force is joining other military branches in suspending tuition assistance that thousands of active-duty service members rely on to pay for college classes. An Air Force spokeswoman says airmen were notified by email that new applications for tuition assistance won't be accepted because of the automatic spending cuts that took effect at the start of the month.

Phoenix voters have overwhelmingly supported a proposal to reform the city's pension system.
Early results after the polls closed Tuesday showed Proposition 201 passing by nearly 80 percent.
The
proposal is expected to save the city nearly $600 million over the next
25 years.

Today marks 50 years since the arrest of Ernesto Miranda, the Mesa man whose name became synonymous with
the rights of criminal suspects.From Phoenix, KJZZ’s Steve
Goldstein reports on the lasting impact of the Supreme Court case that bears
Miranda’s name.

A measure that would require health insurers to cover
certain services provided by telemedicine won the approval of a state house
committee Tuesday. From Phoenix, KJZZ’s Mark Brodie has more.
MARK BRODIE: Senate Bill 1353 would apply to services including
cardiology, trauma, mental health disorders and infectious diseases, and would
be limited to rural parts of the state starting in 2015.

Fourteen people have applied to replace Maricopa County Supervisor Max Wilson. He resigned due to health concerns. KJZZ’s Al Macias reports several current and former elected officials are vying to represent the county’s northwest district.

In the United States, more people say they vote in elections than actually do. One way to prove it is some physical evidence of visiting a polling place. As KJZZ’s Nick Blumberg reports, perhaps the most common piece of proof is provided to Valley voters with help from a sponsor.

A national pro-transparency group says the Arizona Legislature is not doing enough to share information with the public.The nonpartisan, nonprofit group Sunlight Foundation has released transparency report cards for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Chinese solar company Suntech
announced today its factory in Goodyear will shut down next month.Suntech had
been making solar panels in the Phoenix
suburb of Goodyear for two years. But in that time the global price of solar panels had fallen by more than
60 percent, according to GTM Research analyst Shyam Mehta.

Nearly
2 million women in the U.S.
are veterans, but many find themselves homeless after leaving the armed
services. Now, homeless women veterans in the Valley have a new resource to
help them get back on their feet.

Mexico’s President has proposed major
telecommunications reforms that are supported by the nation’s three major
political parties.The changes
would create two new national television channels and form a powerful
independent regulatory commission along the lines of the Federal Communications
Commission in the United
States.

Agriculture officials are trying to prevent
an insect-borne disease from wiping out citrus in western Arizona.
Adult Asian Citrus Psyllid (Photo by David Hall/USDA ARS)
The Asian Citrus Psyllid is only about as
big as the tip of a ballpoint pen, but it can do a lot of damage.

Wondering what it might be like to travel across Antarctica by yourself? National Geographic Explorer Borge Ousland has done it.Ousland explains how he prepared — mentally and physically — for the trek.

For questions or comments about this website, please contact the KJZZ webmaster. For general comments or questions see the Contact KJZZ page for a listing of contacts by topic. Please note: Station policy mandates that listeners who win on-air giveaways on this station are not eligible to win again for 30 days.

Email regarding NPR's coverage, ethics, and funding can be sent to the NPR Ombudsman, who maintains an informative web page. For comments or concerns regarding NPR programs, listeners with a general inquiry, visit NPR's contact form.